Not a Boy
by B. and the Jetts
Summary: Grayson said once that you were only a real superhero after you got sent to another world. If that was true, Damian was fine being just a regular hero.
1. rubber bullets

Damian had learned to remain silent. Not that he used to talkative as much as argumentative, but with time, came the knowledge that his opinion was considered unnecessary.

At first he believed it was because of his mother, being the child of Talia al Ghul wasn't something that people got over easily, then he decided it was because of his assassin training – it didn't help that he had slipped in the whole no-killing ordeal several, _several_ times – but the reality was Damian was just too low on the bat food chain.

He might've been Bruce Wayne's kid, but they all considered him _just_ a kid and it all spoke volumes when it came to his thoughts and how much attention they would get.

So, to preserve his sense of self-worth, already highly damaged since he got here, Damian decided to take a more observant route. He would watch, he would think, he would consider his words carefully and would choose the precise moment to deliver them. It wasn't easy, in fact it was exhausting, but it felt worth it when he overheard father talking to Grayson.

"He maturing, Dick. He seems… peaceful."

Damian felt the corner of his mouth turning upwards until he caught a glimpse of Grayson's face, the look conveyed that the man did not agree with his father, but it went by unnoticed. Father was mostly blind to business unrelated to the mission.

And though it seemed to bother everyone else, it wasn't something that Damian minded.

In fact his father's obliviousness to the fact that his peacefulness was only an act only made him all the more convinced that it worked, and the attentive silence began to seep to other areas of Damian's life.

In school he'd gone from the spoiled-obnoxious-brat to the tall-dark-mysterious-snarky-Wayne-heir. It was a longer title, but it seemed to work better in that particular social environment, so he'd give tiny smirks with the corner of his lips when girls looked and would only voice his opinion about an assignment when asked directly by the teachers. Though that never _ever_ ended well, it was part of what gave him the reputation, something extra to dazzle his fellow classmates, so he kept doing it.

Grayson and Drake seemed suspicious, not in the same way, of course. Drake was sure it was some devious scheme of Damian's, a plot to destroy the world and every living being on it. He never said it aloud, but Damian knew. It only took a few minutes to hack into Red Robin's computer, and being Drake it was the same as reading his diary.

Nightwing on the other hand had been his partner for a really long time, they got to know each other and Grayson knew Damian was not acting normal, he just didn't know why.

So Damian soldiered on, prepared for when the questioning came, but not expecting it anytime soon. He was being too much of a good boy.

On patrol, Batman sent him in first. Robin was not as small as he used to be, but was still light, lean and deadly silent, so he was given the task to check the situation and report back before they charged.

It was a reoccurring action for a couple of months now, he'd been the first one in every scene, he'd do the recognition and most importantly, the orders were given swiftly, almost carelessly just as they would've been given to Nightwing or even Red Robin, and Damian knew what it meant.

Father trusted him.

It was proof that all his hard work was being recognized, being sent in first was an honor, Batman finally trusted him enough to know he'd do the right thing.

It was a good thought. And with what happened in their last mission, it was his last thought for a while.

It seemed simple enough, a bunch of criminal commuting in a warehouse. Batman told Damian to check how many were there, their positions, their weapons. He never even considered mentioning exactly why these particular criminals were so important, and even if the whole need to know infuriated Damian, he found a way around it: he did his own research.

His fate was to become the Bat, so it only made sense that his investigative skills were up to par, nonetheless it was extenuating to keep up with father.

Yet he knew this was about a stolen shipment, the contents were not so easy to uncover, and with his limited time window, from when father informed him of the mission and the actual deed, the intel gathered had led him to conclude it was a weapon prototype, he only failed to discover what it did. Unnerving, yes, but manageable.

As it was the new norm, he went in first. The second he slipped in through the warehouse window there was an explosion of light. There was no other way to explain it; the white light had a twinge of blue around it – though Damian couldn't be sure since it blinded him almost immediately –, threw him back through the wall he had just climbed to get in, and the sheer pressure of if made his ears start ringing.

When he woke up later, sprawled in a pile of debris, Damian had no idea how much time had gone by, how many walls he'd gone through – it felt like 5 at least – or where in hell Batman was. Or the warehouse for that matter.

Getting up was way harder than it should've been, there was dust in his hair and he tasted concrete on his mouth. He took his time looking around as his joints popped back into place, it was Gotham, sure, but nowhere even near where he was supposed to be.

"Batman?" he called on his comm and got nothing back but white noise.

Damian felt a warm spot on his back he knew to be blood, but he couldn't be bothered by it in that instant. He had to figure out what was going on, and with Batman gone – as well as the Batmobile – the only thing his slightly shaken up brain could come up with was returning to the manor and regrouping.

On foot.

The wonders of being Robin. Sometimes he had to remind himself why the hell he actually fought Drake for this, it sucked.

Not one to wallow while he bled and ached, Damian began to walk.

It felt rather disappointing when the manor actually came into sight, I seemed no one was looking for him, not that he _needed_ a search party, it just seemed protocol to have one whenever one of them went missing and by the way the sun was peaking at him on the horizon, he'd been knocked out long enough to be considered missing.

Oh well.

Though he didn't really need to be sneaky about it, Damian didn't make a fuss about getting inside the grounds, it was just his nature to make sure he didn't trip any of the several alarms father had around the property. It was the same with the house itself.

It was quiet, like it always was after patrol, on the rare hours everyone was asleep, and the silence got under Damian's skin. It was the weirdest feeling, like… everything was _right_, just perfect. But it couldn't be, there'd been an explosion in the middle of an investigation, as far as he knew, Batman was missing, how could the manor seem so… peaceful?

There were different kinds of silence in the Wayne household, Damian was familiar with most of them if not all. There was the silence in the mornings, a simple lack of words since birds sang and Pennyworth hummed quietly while preparing breakfast. There was the tense silence, when father was working (or obsessing as Pennyworth called it) and there was the tenser silence, when something went wrong during the vigilante hours.

But sometimes, not often, there were silences like this. A comfortable stillness, perfect for sleep, that made him despise every sound that disturbed it. And now he's the noisy one, adding to the fact that he was parading around the house in his Robin outfit? It all just should've made him walk that much faster straight to his room, instead, Damian found himself standing in front of father's bedroom.

The door was slightly ajar so Damian could see his father's sleeping form and it left him baffled. Did father really care that little for him? Was he that much of a burden that the fact he was missing meant nothing?

It was more confusing than anything. It hurt, sure, people kept trying to make him more humane, and seemed to constantly forget to act the same, but even if father hated him, he wouldn't rest until Damian was back. That much was obvious, so… why? Why was father sleeping while Damian had to walk back after being thrown by an unknown explosion?

He was tempted to simply walk in there and demand an answer, but forced himself to remember that it wasn't worth it. He'd never get a straight answer, father would say only what he believed to be necessary and it would be the end. Setting his jaw, Damian stepped away.

And it was funny how things worked sometimes, if Damian wasn't so focused on not putting his fist through a wall only for the fun of ruining something, he might've missed the light shining from beneath the door on one of the bedrooms.

The unoccupied bedrooms on Wayne manor were always clean, always ready for use thanks to Pennyworth, but the windows were never open, the dark ambiance was just another part of what made Bruce Wayne Batman.

Damian threw the door open expecting to find nothing short of ninja assassins from outer space, and had to content himself with a sleeping girl.

The light he saw escaping from underneath the door was the moonlight coming from the open window and outlining the girl's profile.

It took him a moment to realize that a sleeping girl was a lot more concerning than ninja assassins from outer space.

_Did father bring home _another_ one?_ This picking up strays was getting out of hand.

"Yes, Bruce..." she mumbled mostly asleep, body turning to face the door "Still alive and kicking, stop perving on me and go to bed."

He stepped back so silently that it should've seemed that no one was even there, yet somehow the girl's eyes snapped open, zeroing in on Damian while she sat up slowly, her long dark hair flowing down one shoulder, with a single stark white lock falling on her forehead. Damian knew that girl.

"Who are you?" she asked frowning slightly "Did Bruce send you?"

Damian _knew_ her, but it couldn't be. But with the way her green-blue eyes narrowed, she couldn't be anyone else.

"Todd?"

There was a gun in her hand even before the sleepy look on her face turned hard, suspicious and wide awake "How do you know my name?" he stared down the barrel of her gun and realized that whatever happened next, this would end badly "Why the _fuck_ are you wearing _that_?"

He spared a quick glance to his Robin outfit "Tt."

This would end _very_ badly.

It would be a simple matter of who acted first, if Damian moved the wrong way, he was sure to get a bullet between the eyes. At least if that girl was really-

"Diana? What is it?" another female voice asked barging in, and even before any sort of answer was given, already engaging Damian in combat.

This one's hair was even longer and it kept covering her entire face, but even as Damian barely managed to hold back the blows, there was no mistaking that fighting style, the graceful movements, the speed, the completely unnecessary showing off…

Damian cartwheeled over the bed noting how the gun was still trailed on him, but what really caught his attention was the huge Superman t-shirt the other girl, the acrobat one, was wearing.

That is, if she really was _the_ acrobat.

"Grayson, stop!" Damian said – demanded – jumping onto the windowsill and pushing an appeasing hand out to both girls.

"How the hell did you get in here?"

"Who the hell cares?" Todd said pressing the gun against Damian's palm as she knelt on the bed "Look at what the little fucker is wearing."

"Diana, a gun? Again?" Grayson huffed "Bruce's gonna murder you."

"Been there" Todd smiled sardonically "Done that. And if you're gonna bitch about it, they're rubber bullets. It won't kill him."

"It might cripple him." Grayson pointed out tiredly, like that was a reoccurring argument.

"I'm willing to take that chance." Todd's eyes were bright with something akin to madness.

"Don't you think we should figure out why is there a boy dressed as Robin in your bedroom _before_ we shoot him?"

"Not really, but you're gonna do it anyway, aren't you?"

"Don't mind her…" Grayson smiled, and if Damian had any doubt that the girl really was Dick Grayson, they all vanished right that instant "Diana can be kind of a psycho." She whispered loudly like she was indulging a child "But I do wonder how did you get in?"

While Todd was still pressing the gun against his palm, Grayson was inching toward him slowly, almost unperceptively, on the tip of her toes like a ballerina would.

Damian just wasn't sure if they were acting like that to distract him or if it was just… interaction. Both made sense.

"I was under the impression that this" Damian said tapping the R on his chest with his free hand "would explain a lot more than whatever else I might say."

"Yeah, right." Grayson said with a huff of sarcastic laugh "You're Robin."

Todd on the other hand narrowed her eyes slightly, tilting her head to Grayson's general direction "I thought you said he was a boy."

"I did."

"Doesn't talk like one."

"Yeah, he talks funny."

That aggravated Damian way more than he expected "I must speak to Bruce Wayne. If you ladies would be ever so kind to call him, I would be delighted to leave both of you to go back to sleep."

"This thing's not a boy." Todd concluded.

"If you really need to talk to him, wouldn't it be easier to just… I don't know" how in hell did Grayson get this close? "Make an appointment during work hours?"

"Yes… I suppose you are right, Grayson." Damian said with a fake suffering sigh "I shall call him tomorrow then. I appreciate the advice." He turned his body and gave the slightest push forward, out the window, feeling the wind on his face for all of one second before his back hit the wall hard.

"Holy shit, he's heavy!" Grayson bitched.

"What's going on?" a new voice asked as Damian realized he was being hoisted up by his damn cape.

"Go away!" Todd snapped, voice strained with the effort to keep Damian from falling.

"Are you pulling someone _into_ your bedroom or throwing them _out_?" the new voice asked, sounding amused.

"Get the hell out or I swear to God, I'm shooting your kneecap off."

The voice scoffed "Yeah, right" but the next second, Damian started to slip, like one of the girls had let him go "Oh crap! I'm calling Bruce!"

"Diana!" Grayson growled and Damian was being hoisted up again "Did you just threaten to shoot Sammy?"

"Little kiss ass had it coming." Todd mumbled as Damian felt himself slide back through the window, then hitting the floor of the bedroom.

The whole experience was not only disturbing, but rather humiliating. The sight of the slightly ajar door felt like a saving grace and he lept to it, hearing the chorused protest coming from both Grayson and Todd.

He knew for a fact that the door was open. He _knew_ that. Then what the hell had he just walked into?

Whatever it was it felt solid and sent him back sprawling to the ground.

In a second, he was trying to fight Grayson of off him, in the next Damian found himself on his stomach, Todd's gun pressing to the back of his neck, her bony knee on the middle of his spine, holding him down.

"Put the gun down, Diana." Bruce Wayne, who happened to be the huge block on the door, ordered wirily.

"Rubber bullets." Todd said with no inflection.

"Rubber bullets will still cripple him."

"They might! _Might._ Why is everyone such a pessimist today?"

"Why is that boy dressed as Robin?" Damian lifted his eyes to see yet another girl, the one whose kneecap had been threatened. There was nothing special about her, and if that told him anything, this one was Drake.

"It's not a boy." Todd and Grayson answered as one.

Damian decided to ignore that "I _am_ Robin and I would prove it if I could get up, but I know they won't let me. I can respect that, given the circumstances, and won't fight it." he trained his masked eyes on his father, trying not to notice how much younger the man looked "Mr. Wayne, I know you are Batman. I also know that your ward, Grayson, used to be your first Robin. When she moved on to become Nightwing, you took on another Robin, Todd. And when she had an unfortunate encounter with the Joker that resulted on her death, you _replaced_ her" his little jab didn't go by unnoticed since Todd's knee did a painful twist on his back "with whom I believe to be you current Robin: Drake."

Now Damian could only hope that the only thing that changed on this godforsaken place was the gender of some of its heroes, he wasn't sure what would happen if his father wasn't Batman here. Although that seemed unlikely considering Grayson's and Todd's reactions to his presence there.

"You seem to have a lot of ideas about what goes on in this household, young man. And yet we know nothing about you." Father's voice was calm but hard, stuck somewhere between Bruce Wayne and Batman, making Damian's shoulders almost sagged in relief.

No ordinary millionaire would react like that to an intruder like that.

"I wouldn't mind rectifying that." he squirmed just enough to show the discomfort of his position "In private."

"Why don't you just talk?" it wasn't a question as much as a demand from Todd "Now."

"You won't shoot me." Damian knew he was trying his luck, but this was a matter for his father's ear alone. At least for the moment, maybe Grayson could be included later "Not in here, not in front of fa- Mr. Wayne. It's against his rules to kill people. Or shoot them with intent to cripple." he added the last part upon hearing Todd's intake of breath, ready to protest "We all know that."

"I don't need a gun to kick your creepy ass."

"I don't need a crowbar to kick yours either."

"What_ the fuck_ did you just say?"

"Enough." father ordered in his Batman voice. Damian smirked "Diana, let him up. We'll speak in my den."

"But Bruce-" Grayson started but was cut short by father's raising hand.

"Stay here with the others, Jane."

Todd retreated, not before another twist of her knee, and Damian got up with slow, deliberate movements, he didn't need any of them trying to immobilize him again. He needed help to figure out how to get back to his world.

He joined father on the hallway, and Grayson pulled Drake away from him, closer to her. Father splayed a hand on the middle of his back, guiding him forward "This way."

He bit back the 'I know' on the tip of his tongue and simply walked.

"Security matter my ass, Janey!" he heard Todd's aggravated voice "No way she's staying in my room, she steals my panties!"

"It was only that one time, Diana!" Drake whined back "And I didn't steal them, our underwear got mixed when you moved in!"

"Whatever you say, stalker."

Damian stole a look at his father to gage his reaction to that weird interaction and found him with a slight but visible smile on his lips. He honestly couldn't decide what creeped him out more.

Once in the den, father offered him a seat and leaned his hips on the desk, crossing his arms.

"Well, Robin, we are alone."

Damian was painfully aware of that. He knew if anyone could help him with his predicament it was father, but asking for it, especially in this bizarre situation wasn't easy. And words were never his friends. "I am aware of how bad this must look."

"You mean the fact that a child managed to break into my home without setting any of the several alarms I have around the property? Or that the same child sneaked into my daughter's bedroom in the middle of the night?"

"First of all" he pressed his lips to keep the word 'father' from stumbling out "_sir_, I'm sixteen, barely a child anymore. But yes, I meant those things. I didn't trip any of the alarms because I'm familiar with all of them, and I never had any intention of disrupting Todd's sleep, I didn't know she was there. In fact, where I come from, she is a man."

Father's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, even if his voice stayed composed "And where did you come from?"

"Of that I'm not sure. It is Gotham city, but not the same as yours. As I said, where I come from Todd is a man, just as Grayson and Drake. And I believe we're a few years ahead, since in my… reality, you all seem older and I have replaced Drake as Robin."

"Alright. Who are you?"

Now that was the hardest part. Damian wasn't sure he should confide that information. If this was really the past, it was probable that mother had him in the making and maybe father knowing it beforehand could compromise Damian's existence. Father never wanted him, maybe given the chance, this Bruce would make sure that mother was stopped.

Not that it would affect Damian personally, but he wasn't sure how to feel about it.

"I think that… Since I'm from what could be considered the future, it might be for the best if I don't tell you that."

"You're not helping you case here."

"But I am Robin. Isn't that enough? I've proven myself to you already, obviously, it just… hasn't happened yet. I think." This was confusing. And probably the longest Damian had spoken in a really long time. "All I know for sure is that I don't belong here and I want to go back."

"This is why you broke in in the middle of the night?"

Damian felt himself frowning "No. I never meant to break in, I thought I was home. Then I happened to find Todd, and Grayson thought I was attacking her. You know the rest."

Father sighed, sitting on the big chair on the other side of the desk, he leaned on his elbows and stared at Damian "You won't tell me who you are, how am I supposed to trust you?"

"You shouldn't." Damian said completely serious "But I have nowhere else to turn to and nothing else to offer but my word that I have no secret agenda." In all fairness, the last thing Damian wanted was to have to deal with younger, female versions of his former mentor, the criminal and the pain in the ass "But if you must know, I believe I can tell you my name." it wouldn't make any difference, father had no idea about him yet, and for all he knew, he could be a girl here as well.

"That's not nearly enough, but I guess it's a start."

"Damian." he said after a short nervous pause "My name is Damian." he stood up with perfect posture and offered a hand "It is nice to meet you again, sir."

* * *

**A/N.:** Well... Can't say that I regret.

The idea of Damian with girl versions of Dick, Jason and Tim just amuses me. Hope Damian isn't too weird, I'm pretty sure he won't grow up to act like that, but it just worked for what I had in mind, he's gonna get feistier as this thing goes on, 'cause it's just too fun to write him moody.

Sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes, I'm way too lazy to check.


	2. common knowledge

After the proper introductions, Damian asked for his name to stay just between him and father, he didn't know why he wanted that, but it didn't seem like father minded the secrecy.

Then the tests began. Father quizzed him on thing that only a Robin could know, little things about the uniforms, the car, the cave, the manor, even some questions about Pennyworth, nothing Damian couldn't answer and it seemed to appease the man. After that, Damian told the whole story about how he came to be there, that part left father frowning in concentration.

"We should continue in the morning. I think both of us need to rest."

"Yes, sir."

"Let's get you settled in."

They found Grayson standing guard on the hallway next to Drake's door. "Is this where we kill him and throw the body in the river?"

"Not quite, Jane. Robin is staying with us for the time being."

Grayson arched an eyebrow, the muscles of her crossed arms tensing, not bothering to look at Damian "Oh really? And where exactly is he gonna sleep?"

"I have my own room in this house, as far as I can tell none of you is occupying it."

"I don't think he should stay here, Bruce. We don't even know who he is."

"I'm right here, Grayson" Damian said slowly, through clenched teeth "And if I wanted to harm you, I would've done so by now."

"Is that a threat?" Grayson asked trying to stare him down, even when Damian was just as tall – if not taller – as she was.

"No, it's just fact."

Her face scrunched up and her head tilted slightly to the side, in the poor light, it could easily be Dick Grayson with a wig "How old _are_ you?"

Of all the questions… "What?"

"Diana's right. You kinda look like a boy, but you talk like… weird."

"I'm glad to see you kids getting along, but I have an early morning tomorrow. So I'll leave you to it." Father said lightly, that tiny smile gracing his lips and Damian felt a shiver through his spine.

"Thanks a lot, Bruce! You're so helpful." Grayson snarked with no heat to it and turned back to Damian "Fine, kid… Where's 'your' bedroom?" she asked, air quotes and all.

"Don't call me that." Damian led the way, not bothering to check if Grayson was following, he knew she was.

"Call you what? Kid? First of, you _are_ a kid. Second, a nameless kid. What should I call you then?"

"Call me… Robin." he said softly, opening the door to find his room barren, not that it had many trinkets as it were, but now it felt like the first time he was sent to the manor.

"No can do, kiddo. You're not Robin." Grayson let herself fall seated on the bed "That's Sammy."

"Sammy? Oh. You mean Drake."

"Why do you keep calling us by our last names?"

"It's what I've always called you."

"Wait, what? You mean I know you?"

Damian ran a hand through his face, suddenly exhausted. "Not you, another version of you, can we talk in the morning?"

"It is morning." she said, awfully chipper.

"Grayson…" he began tiredly, but stopped when he realized she was smiling "You are just as annoying as ever, I see."

"So what is this?" she dragged her legs up, sitting Indian style "Did you like… Come from another world?"

"I have yet to figure out exactly what happened, but I suppose so, yes."

"And are we friends there?"

Damian's whole face scrunched up in confusion and he took off his gauntlets as the words formed slowly "I guess…"

"So I like you?"

"Is that a trick question?"

"Look, _Robin_." her smile was still in place, but her voice changed, Damian figured it was her Nightwing voice "Bruce might've okayed you, but I didn't. You're staying the night, or what's left of it, in the same house as my sisters, and if I even think you're trying to hurt them, I will end you. Not kill you, _end_ you. And if you are who you say you are, you know death is not the worst it could happen."

Damian prouded himself with his quick thinking, but the words just stumbled out before he had time to consider them "Your sisters?"

Her mouth twitched "Yeah, dumbass, my sisters. Diana and Samantha."

Todd and Drake. That made sense. "Oh." His head hurt.

"I thought you said you knew me. You even know our résumé, how the hell did you miss the fact that we're sisters?"

"I didn't. Things are different where I come from."

"We're not sisters?" she sounded upset.

"No." he replied taking his cape off.

"What are we?"

"Brothers. And Todd's somewhat… distant."

"Huh. Who knew?" she shrugged it off surprisingly quick "Anyway… You heard me. Forewarned is-"

"Forearmed. Yes, I know."

"All right then." she said, getting up and heading to the door "We'll keep talking in the morning."

"It is morning." Damian mocked mimicking her voice almost perfectly. Puberty made it harder on him to impersonate voices, with his own so out of control, but he was getting the hang of it again.

Grayson stopped and shivered "That was _so_ creepy."

Damian smirked and turned to the bed, but Grayson just stood on the doorway.

"Hey, you're hurt."

"What?"

"Your back is bleeding."

Looking over his shoulder, Damian saw the spot colored in a darker red then the rest of his tunic. "It's nothing, I'll handle it."

"Yeah, now I see it." Grayson commented, rolling her eyes "You really are family." and left.

Damian took off his tunic slowly, now very aware of his battered muscles and the wound on his back, it wasn't big, but it was bleeding, probably after reopening during the last few minutes.

Sighing, he sat on the bed, rubbing a hand through his face and wondered what was happening back home, if father had already figured out his disappearance was related to the prototype they were investigating or if they all just assumed he was dead.

He wondered what happened here that made Todd reconcile with the family enough to move back in.

He wondered why this Bruce Wayne seemed to smile more.

He wanted to wonder about a lot more, but was interrupted by a bundle of flying clothes hitting his face.

"Change your pants and lay on your stomach" Grayson ordered seriously, but the Superman nightgown compromised the effect "I can't bandage you in your leggings; I'll stare at your ass."

Damian was gaping a little, he knew that, but if took him some effort to snap his mouth shut, the force of it made his teeth click.

"And that was a joke." she gave a long low whistle, leaning on the dresser, going through a first aid kit she'd brought with her "Tough crowd."

"I don't need any help, Grayson, it's just a scratch."

"Shut up and lie down."

Moved by years of conditioning – of simply being accustomed to listen to Grayson – Damian almost did as he was told, but managed to stop himself just in time. "Why are you doing this?"

"You're hurt." she said it slowly, like he injured his head, not his back.

"I am aware of that." he answered in the same tone, fingers gripping the bedspread to keep his voice in check "But you don't even know me. And you've just made it fairly clear that you do not like me, so I'll go back to my initial question: why?"

"It's my ADHD, I get really pissed one second, the next I see something shiny and that's that." she gave him a brilliant smile "Don't worry, if I see you screwing up, we'll get back to that and I'll wipe the floor with you. Otherwise, you're pretty shiny, you know?"

"Do you ever think before you speak?" Damian was slightly appalled and so bone tired he couldn't even try to disguise it.

"I try not to," she said lightly, her twirling finger telling him to turn around "it gets in the way of being awesome."

He shot her one last dirty look, before remembering that his mask blew the effect, and ended up complying. He leaned his head on the crook of his arm and held back a yawn.

Grayson's hands were as gentle as ever, but softer, she hummed and winced in sympathy while she worked. It grated him, but he refrained from moving; the more he cooperated, the sooner she'd leave.

"All done."

He sat up stiffly, though it wasn't obvious, still Grayson's eyes were on him.

They stood like that for an awkward moment, Grayson still with one knee on the mattress, Damian leaning his elbows on his thighs. Was he supposed to say something?

"Uh… That will be all, Grayson." he didn't stammer, but his tone was clipped "You may go now."

Her eyebrows grew close "I know you said we were friends, but I think you might be lying."

"And why is that?" he asked just because it seemed to be what she wanted, at that point, he couldn't care less.

"I'm not supposed to wanna deck my friends."

"I grew on you."

She snorted "Right."

The next day started messily. Damian was always in control, if not of the circumstances, at least of himself, his body. Even when he slept, he made sure know his surroundings; he didn't expect to rest completely, just enough to function properly the next day.

During his years living with father, that control was adjusted, since he was able to identify the sound of his family's steps, the noise – or lack thereof – they made, the speed, their weight; each one of them had a particular walk, like a fingerprint. Knowing that – along with the fact that no one would harm him, not intentionally at least – his guards dropped slightly. It didn't make him weak, just… adaptable.

However, here, things were different. His conscious mind new he was somewhat safe, after all, father had promised safe haven. Not in so many words, yet Damian felt unconcerned.

But there were new steps, ones he didn't know, and instinct kicked in before he was fully awake. Luckily, Damian was conscious enough to make it a warning shot – or two – it still was enough to elicit an unnecessary loud shriek from the girl, but otherwise she was unharmed, whoever that one was.

Damian sighed and swung his legs off the bed before scrutinizing his handy work. Two blades were etched to the doorframe at what he fairly certain was the girl's eyelevel, he gave himself an appreciative nod and stood.

The clothes Grayson had supplied him with were hardly presentable – the t-shirt was stretched across his chest, barely covering his navel and though the pants were an appropriate length, they were a bit too tight on the hips – but it was either that or his uniform, and it broad daylight, the latter wasn't an option.

It made him wonder where Grayson got the clothes from, they didn't look like they belonged to a girl. At least he hoped not, this situation was humiliating enough as it was.

His bare feet padded their way to the kitchen, where he found all three girls. Grayson had headphones on – plugged to the biggest MP3 player Damian had ever seen – and was braiding Todd's hair, not seeming to notice how extremely bored the criminal looked even as she stuffed spoonfuls of cereal into her mouth.

Drake on the other hand sat stiffly, hand clawed around a glass of milk, staring intently at Damian, who narrowed his eyes. The mystery as to who was spying on him in his sleep was uncovered. Not that it was much of a surprise, Drake did have a record.

"Why were you in my bedroom?" he asked, his naturally clipped tone drawing Todd's smirking eyes.

"Well, Samantha" she drawled licking her spoon "Spying on the new kid, are you? You little whore."

"What?" Grayson asked loudly over the music blasting on the headphones, still busy with Todd's hairdo.

Todd just waved her off and watched Drake squirm for an instant before she could collect herself and answer all no nonsense "I was just calling him down for breakfast, he was the one who threw two freaking _knives_ at me!"

"Knife play? Already?" Todd's eyebrows shot up "You kids these days..."

"What the hell are you three talking about?" Grayson pushed the phones down around her neck.

"Go on…" Todd goaded, around a mouthful of cereal "Tell her." when no one spoke, she continued with an eye roll "Stalker Sammy broke into our guest's room to take a peek of his ass. Unfortunately for her, he is not an enabler of her disgusting habits, unlike you, so he tossed a few pointy things on her general direction. Now you are all ruining my perfectly good breakfast by arguing over it."

"You threw _pointy things_ at her?" Grayson echoed Todd's words unable to disguise her amusement.

"You broke in to _stare at my ass_?" Damian deflected, questioning Drake instead.

He didn't really expect it to work, back home everyone rather drill him with the questions and the hard stares, but Grayson's head snapped to Drake and Todd simply smirked.

Damian took the chance to serve himself a cup of tea.

"Sam…" Grayson began sternly.

"I was calling him for breakfast!" Drake nearly shrieked, horrified "I swear to God! Why would I be spying?"

Todd let her spoon drop to the bowl dramatically. "How did you become Robin again?"

"You guys are such bullies!"

Alfred chose that moment to walk in, effectively killing the whole argument. If the butler was surprised to see Damian, he didn't show in the least.

"Master Robin" he said instead "Would you please refrain yourself from using any sort of workwear during daylight hours?" the question was poised with a familiar demanding tone, and Damian stared wistfully at the man for a second.

"Yeah, why is that?" Grayson asked, leaning on the table, elbowing Todd's bowl to the side "You know all of us, you seem to trust us." when Todd snorted, she added "To a point. So why the mask?"

"He slept in it too, you know." Drake supplied helpfully eyes fixed on her glass and Damian wished his warning shots earlier had nicked her ear or something.

"I believe Master Robin is entitled to some privacy, isn't he, girls?" Alfred didn't even have to turn from his position by the sink to make them all look abashed.

"Yeah, you two made me lose my appetite. Thanks a lot." Todd complained standing up and shoving Grayson with the motion.

Drake peered into the bowl "But you ate it all."

"Nice detective work!" Todd called over her shoulder before leaving.

Damian finished his tea, placed the cup silently on the table and stood as well "Thank you, Pennyworth" he said solemnly and realizing only after he left the kitchen that he had absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to be.

He thought about going back to his room, but then what?

"Don't let them get to you" Todd told him as she breezed by "Jane came from the circus, they have no clue of personal space whatsoever there. And Sam… She's just weird."

Damian only nodded in response, eyes traveling up and down Todd's body, trying to decide how much she had in common with her counterpart in his world. He found nothing.

Nothing helpful, that is. She did remind him of Todd, they could be twins, both with pale skin, dark hair – though the true color of Todd's hair remained a mystery to him – with a white streak, teal eyes… She was obviously a lot leaner, a woman with Todd's build would've been kind of terrifying, but still tall, maybe even having a couple of inches on Damian himself, he wasn't sure.

She stopped and glanced at Damian over her shoulder "Wanna spar?"

And then Damian realized, with no little disgust, what women had been fawning over since he could remember. He was aware that his siblings were attractive men, but only on principle, like he knew he was attractive, or mother and father. It was common knowledge and he simply accepted that, not bothering to look into it.

But now he got it. Todd, _this_ Todd, was beautiful. And it freaked him out almost as much as father's smiles the night before.

Suddenly, if he didn't hit something he'd explode, and the answer ripped itself out of his mouth "Yes."

* * *

**A/N.:** Hey you guys! Thanks for the feedback hope you like this one too!

I think I'm making the girls a little too crazy, but it's too funny to stop, but tell me if it sucks and I'll tone it down


	3. rhinestones and lace

_As sugested by Eleavir, here's a list with the girl's names::_

_Dick Grayson - Jane "Janey" Grayson_

_Jason Todd - Diana Todd_

_Tim Drake - Samantha "Sam"/"Sammy" Drake_

* * *

Throughout his life, Damian had been called a lot of different names.

Chosen.

Beloved.

Monster.

Son of the Bat.

Murderer.

Heir.

Evil.

All of those true in some way or the other, but if Damian were to define himself in one word it would be 'aggravating'.

It wasn't his intention, but he simply never learned to adjust completely, the Al Ghul upbringing still shone through in some moments, for instance when it came to people trying to earn his respect. Damian had learned from an early age that people should prove themselves in combat and if their skills were commendable, they'd be respected.

It didn't work like that in father's world. In Gotham, Damian was supposed to respect everyone based singularly on their seniority over him. Which didn't make any sense whatsoever, so Damian's unconscious solution to that was to be aggravating all of the time until he could judge if someone was truly worthy of his respect and trust.

He came to realize pretty soon that this tactic gave women ill feelings towards him. They would call him new names. Sexist pig. Womanizer jerk. And his personal favorite, misogynistic asshole. It wasn't really his fault if they took offense so easily, but the idea that he could be sexist was laughable on so many levels.

His mother was what he considered the picture of power, father might be what he longed to be, but mother was who he admired since birth, since before he even imagined Batman existed, he grew up watching her control a worldwide net of crime.

His 'dead' aunt Nyssa – because the Al Ghul family was so good at staying dead. Right… – had successfully taken over his grandfather's organization and became the Demon Head (On his thirteenth birthday she sent him the set of knives he used on Drake earlier – which only reinforced the not-dead theory – complimenting him on being such a good enemy to the house Al Ghul. Damian thought she was funny).

In other words, women were strong, he knew that.

So saying he was underestimating this Diana Todd's abilities was completely untrue, if she was here, she was trained by the best to be the best, Damian didn't expect any less.

And sparring was just the kind of thing he understood, this was about respect.

Finally, something that made sense.

They danced around each other on quick feet, analyzing the others stance, waiting for the first opening. It took Todd just one well-placed kick behind his legs to send him airborne and to make him realize that respect was the last thing in Todd's mind, to her this was a test.

He landed on his back, the air leaving his lungs in a loud huff, he opened his eyes to find Todd there adjusting the gauze and tape around her knuckles "I can't figure out if you're holding back or just afraid to hit a girl. Maybe you just suck." she tapped his foot with hers "Come on up, Robin boy."

Oh and he did.

He sprung up in a backflip trying to get as much distance from her as he could, and Todd followed suit. Damian landed on his feet, already turning his body in a swirl to get behind her and tap the back of her neck.

"Did you let me get that hit in? Or do you just suck?" he whispered mostly into her hair, barely managing to dodge the elbow that came flying towards his nose.

Todd's attacks became increasingly violent, the barest graze blossomed instant bruises and broke skin, it made Damian smirk through a bloody lip as he kept answering blows with light taps where he would usually throw punches.

See? Aggravating.

At first she was giving him this odd suspicious look, like she was on the verge of an epiphany, but with each stroke of his finger her eyes grew alight and angry.

She's fast, faster than Jason, more competent, just better, Damian realizes as she jabs her fingers in his throat, and he has to throw his head back to avoid them. Todd leans in with the motion and hooks a leg behind Damian's ankle, it would only take a shove to his shoulder to send him flat on his back. Damian grabs her wrist and pulls her forward, when he falls, he drags her down.

They land in a mess of limbs – she's still kicking – only to sparing a breath when Todd's pressed against his back, her right arm curled around Damian's throat and _pressing_, while he cradles her left arm to his chest and _twists_.

She could strangle him. He could dislocate her shoulder. Neither of them is quite stopping.

"I _think_ this is pretty much the definition of a stalemate." Grayson informs them leaning on the threshold, trying to sound casual even if she looked baffled.

Todd lets him go instantly, frees her arm and lifts her empty hands as a peace offering, making no effort whatsoever to hide her seething anger. Damian stays as he was, on his knees and watches her legs as she saunters passed Grayson. His skin curls when he realizes what he was doing.

"Keep the little shit away from me." Todd tells Grayson before getting out of sight.

Damian looks at Grayson then, _really_ looks at her and regrets it instantly.

She is definitely _not_ Richard with a wig. And when she smiles and cocks an eyebrow, Damian groans internally.

"We should stop meeting like this. You're always bleeding, it's unsanitary."

"I see Todd's anger issues have not been dealt with here either." Damian comments lightly, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with a fingertip and staring at it "It's oddly comforting."

"And you're an odd little bird…" she sighed and shook her head slightly "Come on, we need to try to get you to look like you weren't run over by a train." she extended a helpful hand and Damian stared at it "Some clothes too. You're giving off a street walker vibe. Sorry."

"I feel the need to inform you that I am not your doll, Grayson. Doesn't matter how _shiny_ you think I am."

She leaned forward "I don't think you realize just _how_ shiny you are." and the helpful hand was shoved in his face.

Ignoring it, Damian got up fluidly, without the use of any hands, hers or his, and Grayson followed his motion up. He did his best attempt to smile sweetly "Do we have to play house too?"

"Only if you want to, but you'll have to dance."

"What?"

"Well, it _is_ a ball."

Grayson said that as if it should make all the sense in the world. The words are simple enough, it _should_ make sense. "Does your ADHD have a dictionary? Or an interpreter, I might need it."

"We're having a ball, a masquerade now, to accommodate you" she explained with excited movements "It's kinda like the Sweet Sixteen Diana's never had, being dead and all, and also the way Bruce chose to tell the press that she's back." her eyes glittered wistfully "They're gonna eat it up."

"Where will I be relocated to?" because certainly father wouldn't let a virtual stranger be a part of this circus-

"The dance floor, doll. You're Sammy's date."

"Whose?" Drake. God no "_Ya ibn asharmoota!_"

"Did you just curse in Arabic?"

"Grayson, no. Listen to me: no. That's cruel and unusual and I will not stand by it."

She rolls her eyes "You say that now, but wait 'till you see her all dressed up and adorable. _So_ beautiful."

No. No, no. Damian was _not_ going there. He's already having an existential crisis enough as it is – with Todd's eyes and Grayson's lips and Todd's legs and Grayson's… – and surely didn't need to notice that Drake of all people wasn't completely despicable. There was only so much he could take.

"Why am I even involved in this? Contain me somewhere in the cave."

"You'd rather be locked up somewhere than go to a Wayne party?" he'd rather be dead than go anywhere with any shape or form of Drake "Sweet Jesus, your world must really suck."

"Be reasonable."

"I am being reasonable, I need to keep a close eye on you. Who knows what you devious little mind will come up with if we leave you alone."

"Well, then it's simple, I'll stay with _you_."

"I'm flattered, doll, but my cradle robbing days are over."

Mother of God.

"Oh good, that's not completely disturbing at all."

A smile. Because Grayson's the kind of person who likes to screw with people's heads and no gender bend in the universe will change that.

Social gatherings were not Damian's cup of tea, as far as he was concerned, throwing a crowd in a closed room lined with alcohol was a huge security risk, but then again he was raised a ninja assassin and the League was not exactly prone to party.

His first Wayne function was full of women crooning about how adorable he was, how much he looked like father and "Is your big brother Dickie single?"; he was mostly pleased with all the attention, though it wasn't something he'd want on a regular basis, it wasn't awful.

Then father was back, soon it would be time for the both of them to make an appearance at a charity ball and Damian actually felt anxious. Father had his playboy persona and it made Damian wonder how he should act, even came up with a few different possibilities of personalities to test out until father told him his presence was not required.

His presence was never required.

Grayson managed to drag him every once in a while – so Damian wouldn't feel left out. He never did really –, but for the most part these kind of celebrations remained quite a distant notion.

So when he joins the girls in the search for clothing, he isn't quite expecting that level of excitement. Which is one more thing about this god-awful place that's scarring him for life.

He showered and as soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, four different suits were thrown at him – "Bruce's old stuff, Alfred keeps _everything_" – and after quickly dressing in the first one that fit, Damian did his best to concentrate on his bare feet as he sat on the red plush couch in the unbelievably huge walk in closet, dressed only in black slacks and a white undershirt as Grayson, Drake and Todd flaunted around clad in undergarments.

They were obviously taking this keeping-a-close-eye-on-Robin incredibly serious, but at the same time, seemed completely distracted by their preparations, giggling constantly and complementing the dress the other chose. Even Todd cracked a smile every now and then.

When Grayson started doing handless cartwheels in a ghastly pink tutu dress to allegedly test her mobility in it, Damian decided he'd had quite enough.

Throwing on his shirt and jacket, Damian left without a word.

Todd found him sitting on the third floor hallway, knees propped up and elbows leaning on them, his head thrown back against the wall. She dropped a black mask onto his lap and dress shoes on the floor next to him.

"Has Alfred taught you nothing?" she asked in an obnoxious, stuck up voice, like an old rich dowager, tapping the toes of her high heels impatiently "It is _rude_ to keep your date waiting."

He looked up, making sure to bypass her legs – 'cause really, that knee length dress and this angle… – and found her eyes covered by a black lace mask "Weren't you the one who didn't want me around?"

She shrugged and adjusted the sash that came out of her bodice and went over her left shoulder "Yeah, well… I'm not known for my mental stability." true enough "Why did you run off?"

"I wasn't planning any nefarious act if that's your concern."

"I know." she smiled knowingly "It was the cartwheels that did it, right? The moment Janey's ruffled panties made an appearance, you totally snapped."

"Is that jealousy I sense? Would you rather have me stare at _your_ knickers, Hood?"

She honest to god laughed and Damian watched as her styled curls bounced with the motion before she turned on her heel and called over her shoulder "Up and at 'em, you little shit. I don't wanna be late for my Sweet Sixteen. I'm already three years behind."

Damian took a moment to slip in the socks and shoes and change into his new mask before he got up and followed.

When he caught up to Todd, she peered at him through the black lace of her mask, but they kept walking side by side in silence.

Father was giving a speech when they arrived at the ballroom, twirling his hand-held mask between his fingers and eliciting soft laughter from the guests with whatever he was saying.

His eyes landed on Todd and he motioned towards her "So I'd like to ask for a round of applause to my beautiful daughter, Diana."

All faces and cameras turned and Damian didn't think he imagined the way Todd balked, so when the flashes blinded them, he hooked his arm through hers and then they were cutting their way through the crowd.

"What are you doing?" she hissed against the shell of his ear.

"Do me a favor and pretend that you have any resemblance to a ladylike behavior and let your date escort you."

"Try anything funny and I'll punch you in the throat."

"Now _that_ would be a lovely headline."

The clapping and blinding camera flashes seemed to quadruple when father took Todd's hand in his, but only Damian notice how the man's eyes were on _him_ instead of her.

He wondered if father could see the uncanny resemblance they both carried now that Damian was wearing one of his old suits, or even if he saw something in his eyes, exposed by the lack of the white lenses.

His thoughts were cut short when Grayson grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away from the mass of reporters trying to get a statement out of Todd and closer to an empty table where she crowded him.

"When you said you wanted to play house" she whispered, hands on his chest "I had no idea that this was what you meant." looking down, Damian saw her swift fingers buttoning his shirt up and not… you know. "You just had to come in all debauched, with that open shirt and sex hair and-"

"Sex _what?_"

Damian wasn't startle exactly by the newcomer, but Grayson splayed her hands on his stomach, living him no room to make a discrete run for it.

"Sex _hair_, Eric." she repeated turning her attention back to Damian's shirt.

"Could you stop playing with his fly and tell me who this is?"

"Bruce got me a doll."

"A six foot doll with a six pack and sex hair."

"Yeah, well, Bruce had to get me at least _one_ good toy, am I right?"

"Oookay, you're creeping me out. Bye."

Damian stared at the retreating young man as Grayson adjusted his collar "Was that _Gordon_?"

Grayson leaned back to gawk at him through her light gold rhinestone mask "You're seriously asking me if the tall redheaded guy with glasses on the wheelchair is Eric Gordon? You see? It's stuff like that that make me doubt your Robin authenticity."

Ignoring the subsequent rant, Damian watched Gordon roll his chair towards Drake and decided that this must be what having a stroke felt like. "Eric Gordon." he said out loud, just because.

"Wait!" Grayson's voice snapped his attention back to her "He's a girl back there, isn't he? Holy shit!" she was grinning manically "Holy shit! Oooh, what's his name? Do tell."

"Barbara."

"_Barbara!_ This is priceless." she clapped her hands over her cheeks, still smiling in amazement "Was he Bat-Chick or something? Please, tell me he was Bat-Chick."

"Bat_girl_, yes."

Grayson actually squeaked in excitement "Stay here, I'll be right back and you owe me a dance!"

"I owe you nothing!" he called to her back.

"Don't move!"

To avoid ogling – seriously, Grayson's backside was famous for a reason and that dress was made of green _silk_ – Damian let his eyes drift across the room, not searching for someone in particular, but coming to a halt when he found Todd.

She was in a corner talking furiously with a hand clutched around her ear – a comm link, then – looking carefully around, like she was scared of being seen. As far as Damian knew, everybody she could possibly be talking to was right there at that party, and if it was important enough to interrupt the event, father would certainly be informed, and the man seemed oblivious.

Damian's feet were moving before he was even sure if he _really_ wanted to do that.

It was easy enough to follow someone when they weren't expecting it, and Todd was so unaware she didn't look back once, giving Damian more than enough space to work with. It was strange though, she was good, better than her male counterpart, Damian realized that when they were sparring. He had a growing suspicion that they were all better, if father let three girls out on the streets, he probably trained them harder than all the armies in the world combined – being second only to the League. And even that's a maybe –, making sure that any possible female trait that might be considered a weakness was completely eliminated.

So why in hell was she being so careless?

She took a cab out of the manor for fuck sake. So yeah, pretty goddamn easy to follow.

The warehouse they ended up in was innocuous enough, but as soon as Todd stepped out of the cab, five armed men surrounded her, forcing Damian to step out of his hiding place to aid her. The stupid cow was mixed up in something and didn't even have the sense to change out of her heels.

Thinking back, maybe she just truly sucked.

The gunmen were slow, they didn't even notice Damian until he was close enough to realize that perhaps he got it all wrong.

A red domino mask had replaced the black lace one and a feral grin decorated her face, and they both told a different story.

No, Todd was not a stupid cow, she was a traitorous bitch.

* * *

**A/N.:** I thought this would either be too short and too boring or too long and almost cool, turns out it's just long and somewhat boring.

This took me way too long and I can't quite stare at it anymore so yeah, not much to add now, just hope everyone enjoys it and for the record, in my head, Damian looks insanely hot with the masquerade gear (that ilegal little shit).

On a different note, I'm kinda new to all that **Tumblr** shindig and have literally 4 followers, I'm totally not asking for more (I'm agonizingly boring) but if anyone wants me to write a prompt or something, that would be kinda neat! So yeah, have any ideas, don't know how to write them, hit me and I'll try, 'kay?

Oh, and thanks for all the feedback! I love the sugestions I get, but I'm so not telling which ones I'll use (mostly because I don't even know yet).

You guys rock!


	4. a silent boy

_Dick Grayson - Jane "Janey" Grayson_

_Jason Todd - Diana Todd_

_Tim Drake - Samantha "Sam"/"Sammy" Drake_

* * *

When they bound his wrists together, hoisting them up above his head, Damian felt a queasy feeling seeping into his bones.

"We should wait for her." one of the men said looking around nervously. He had a red handkerchief peeking out of his pocket and grabbed it every so often to rub it across his sweaty forehead.

"Fuck that!" another one – this one had a gravelly voice and smelled of nicotine – snaps as he ties the rope holding Damian's arms to a hook on the wall "As far as we know this one's working with her."

Damian blinks at that. Why would Todd's hired help assume Damian was working _with_ her? He's tied up, probably about to be tortured, he obviously has no connection to her whatsoever.

"Why would she leave him with us then?" the one with the handkerchief whispered, he seemed terrified at the possibility that Todd might hear them.

"If she didn't it would make us suspicious."

A third man, who stood by the side chewing gum obnoxiously loud, laughed "You're the only one here who's suspicious of anything."

"I saw her with one of the masks! The little one, Robin. They weren't fighting, they were _talking_. Why the hell would Robin pass the opportunity to lock up the Red Hood? It's because all those bitches are working together."

It's all particularly amusing, Damian realizes feeling slightly detached from the situation, that these men would believe Todd was having a secret relationship with him, being that what led him here in the first place was his complete lack of trust in the girl. Woman. Female.

"So what are you gonna tell her when she comes in?" the man asked after snapping his gum.

"The truth." the gravelly voice answered "I was looking for answers."

Damian steeled himself for whatever was about to come. He needed to keep it together just enough to get himself out of there and back to the manor. Father must be informed of this.

And the guy came at him with his fists.

Damian snorted into the punch, because he had honestly expected to be _tortured_, not fucking tickled by a goon with an obvious case of pulmonary emphysema due to excessive smoking.

He tried to grunt on the right cues during his 'beating', but he knew he was out of sync. But the looks it got him were reward enough.

One of the ceiling cameras – there were four – the one facing him on the right corner adjusted slightly, zooming in, probably. Damian smiled at it and lifted his middle finger. In fact, his hands were the only part of him actually bothered by this whole ordeal; the tips of his fingers were slightly numb.

His _torturer_ was breathing heavily, and his breath smelled sickly sweet with disease, making Damian grimace in mild disgust. The next blow was hardly that, weak even after such little effort from the man, landing on Damian's shoulder rather than his face.

Soon after the door opened, drawing all eyes to Todd, now dressed in cargo pants, combat boots and a leather jacket over a black armor with a red bat painted on, her hair is pulled up on a messy bun, some of the curls slipping from it and framing her masked face. Damian wants to spit on her.

"So, what've you got?" she asks the men, who mostly shrug back.

"Nothing, punk won't talk."

"Oh…" she nods distractedly "That just _proves_ he's my accomplice." if not for the way all men froze at those words, one would truly believe by her tone she was merely concluding something that had been bothering her for days "The fact that the prisoner won't talk after you used all you _deep_ interrogation knowledge, must mean that I've gone soft. It's the only obvious conclusion, _isn't it_?" her voice grows louder and assertive.

Everyone shrinks and the torturer bursts into a hacking cough fit as Todd approaches, none of the others try to aid him.

"Look, Hood, I don't know what you've been hearing, but-"

"I hear _everything_, you fucking moron!" she yells over him "Did you seriously think I'd let you start a fucking mutiny right under my nose?"

"I saw you with Robin-"

"You saw me taunt a piss poor excuse for a vigilante and flee, and you assume I'm working with them?" she huffs out a flat laugh; her whole postures is tense and twitchy at the same time, it's unnerving "You wanna see how I get a bird to sing?" she asks pulling a pistol from the back of her waistband and shooting Damian's leg.

The unexpected pain made him stumble with a groan ripping itself from his throat as he tried to compensate with the other leg. The sudden extra weigh making his wrists scream and his finger to go completely numb; Damian pressed his lips into a thin line, angry for being so caught up in the drama that he let the shot catch him off guard.

"Huh, what a quiet little bird" she quips before turning her attention back to the mutineer "Thank God it's so much simpler to deal with fucking traitors" she smiled and shot him in the head.

Damian felt droplets of blood landing on his cheek and did his best to clean it on his shoulder, he still smelled the man's foul breath and had no desire to be splattered with his rotten blood as well.

"Is anyone else worried about the lengths of my dedication to this organization?" Todd asked the remaining men, who had yet to move a muscle "Come on, speak up! No one?" the silence was deafening. Todd sighed, looking utterly fed up "Three people and you can't get one little fucker to squeal. I should just…" she rubs a hand over her face "You. Nervous guy."

The guy in question dropped his sweat soaked handkerchief with a deer in headlights look to his face. "Me?"

"No, the other sweaty jittery loser with a hanky. Yeah, you. Get _this_" she kicked the dead body by her feet "out of here and come back, we've got work to do."

"And there I was, concerned that you might actually be a threat." Damian says through a sharp smile "If I only knew…"

"Oh, _now_ you remember how to speak. What the hell is up with that?" she shoves a finger in his bullet wound and Damian did _not_ writhe away from her touch, merely gritting his teeth and screwing his eyes shut. He blinks them open to find Todd's pearly white teeth grinning wolfishly at him "Did you miss me?"

Damian swallows hard, making sure his voice is steady before he spoke again "Tell me, did the pit drive you mad or were you already mentally challenged living off of trash on the streets? I've often wondered."

Todd grabbed his chin forcefully with bloodstained fingers, and forced him to stare at her "What are you hiding behind that mask?" even through the blank lenses of her domino, Damian could feel her piercing eyes drilling him "It's not like we know you." she leans closer, their cheeks almost touching "Or is it? I think I know your secret, little Robin."

Still holding his chin, Todd lifts her free hand starts peeling his mask away. Her gloves are rough on his skin and he can do nothing but set his jaw, waiting for it. The opening.

There was no fucking way in hell he'd let Todd see his face. She was most likely bluffing, how could she possibly know he was Bruce Wayne's son? But even if she _was_ lying, it was the principle of it. He'd rather scorch his face with acid than let her see it.

The opening he wanted came with the return of the sweaty man with the red handkerchief. Todd's head flickered to the side, barely a second of distraction, but Damian could work with that.

With his numb hands he grabbed the rope binding them and used it for leverage to jump with both legs. When his feet collided with Todd's chest, Damian saw stars exploding, and he landed on his good leg, bracing himself for the next onslaught.

She's sprawled on the floor and her men don't know whether to go to her aid or attack Damian, who goads them in the right direction with a smile and a "Who's next?"

Both rushed to him, Todd's scream of "NO!" completely ignored. Damian headbutts the first one and wraps his legs around the head of the second. He manages to keep his balance perched on the man's shoulders just enough to dislocate his thumb and free his hands.

He runs.

With no time for stairs, Damian looked over the railing and spotted rows of boxes downstairs, hoping they could hold his weight, he jumped. They couldn't. Damian fell through cardboard lids and crashed the glass containers the boxes held within.

Somehow, his feet found the ground just as the shots began flying over his head. He tried to stand and the world just seemed faster and slower at the same time. It wasn't adrenaline, it wasn't from the bullet wound; he stared at all the broken glass around him – it shined like tiny diamonds –, and at the cuts littering his arms – he didn't feel any of them, in fact he didn't feel his arms at all.

He only had a moment to wonder what the hell had been _inside_ all those containers before Todd's voice snapped him out of it. "GET HIM!"

Damian took off again, he watched as blood poured out of the hole in his leg, but there was no pain. Whenever he blinked the world took on a negative effect and when the colors were just about to return, he blinked again.

He began to lose bits and pieces, he heard Todd's voice again, he watched as his foot collided with a bearded man's jaw, he felt absolutely nothing. Suddenly he was at the woods surrounding the manor with no idea whatsoever of how he got there, but he knew enough not to stop.

In the next moment, he was stumbling in the kitchen walking into Pennyworth.

"Good heavens, young sir!"

"Pennyworth!" Damian gasps "Where's father?"

"Your father?"

Damian pressed the heel of his hands to his eyes "No… Not father… Mr. Wayne. I must see him at once!"

"Alfie?" a voice called from behind Damian.

"Grayson" Damian breathed, and turned to her having to grab at her arms to keep standing, his hurt leg dragging behind him, body reacting to the wound on its own, since there was still no pain, no feeling "It's Todd, she has been…" his vision swam and he shook his head "She lied."

"I don't know what you're talking about" Grayson whispers worriedly, pushing Damian's hair away from his face "God, you're burning up!"

"Grayson, listen to me!" Damian grits out, watching Grayson's eyes as they go from black, to grey, to blue, to black once more. He wonders if he's going blind "Todd has betrayed you all!"

"Ah, shit." Damian snaps his head so fast at that he loses a few frames, and everything looked like thin smoke shapes against a dark background, but he manages to focus on Todd by the doorframe "He was supposed to be out by now."

Damian turns back to Grayson, letting go of her arms and stepping back "Do not let her in!" Grayson's image swims in and out of focus "She will _kill_ you!"

"Knock him out already, Jane."

"Hey, doll? Robin?" Grayson called softly, trying to approach Damian again "It's not what you think."

"You are in this _together_." Damian concludes hazily, rubbing his eyes again. His back hit the counter and he realized he'd been stepping further and further away from the people surrounding him "What is going on?" he asked no one in particular "What was in those boxes?"

"What boxes?" Grayson asked but Damian heard no answer "_Diana…_" Grayson sounded exasperated "He's gonna crash, isn't he?"

Damian's heart was trying to slam its way out of his chest, and it was all too much, too fast. Damian pushed Grayson away and ran to the batcave. Maybe father would be there, he'd know what to do.

But would father believe him?

The thought made Damian pause at the grandfather clock, fingers sliding down the wood as his legs gave out.

He was all alone. For the very first time in his life, there was no one he could turn to, nowhere he could go.

The changing colors made his head ache, so he closed his eyes and focused on his heart's wild beating, trying to calm it down.

"There he is!" Grayson's voice jolted Damian into moving again as he dashed off to the front door.

He'd find his way out of this place, he didn't _need_ anyone, Grayson – his Grayson, male Grayson – did his best to put that notion aside, but this little adventure only proved that Damian was better off on his own. If he could reach the door, if he actually made it to the trees-

"Gotcha!" Damian sees rather than feels arms wrapping around him and drags his eyes up to father's face "What happened to you?"

"Todd was acting strangely during the party, I followed her. I believe she's been running some sort of drug operation. Now let me go."

"How is he even awake?" Todd asked baffled, running into the room "He should be in a coma or something!"

"Bruce!" Grayson called "He needs medical attention now!"

"No!" Damian barked clawing his way out of father's arms, but the man just held on tighter "I will _not_ let her near me! Unhand me, _now!_" he was sure the only thing holding his heart behind his ribcage was father's hand on his chest.

"He's gonna crash if he doesn't calm the fuck down…" Todd commented nonchalantly.

Father's hand moved to Damian's neck and pressed a specific spot. Damian knew what would happen next, but before any reaction was possible, he was out.

Damian woke up to a dark room.

He blinked, but the darkness was so deep he could barely make out silhouettes, yet he knew there was someone there with him.

"You should get back to sleep." the nearly shapeless form told him.

"Oh, it's you." he sighed, relaxing back into his pillows.

"Is that it? I was pretty sure you would go mental if you saw me here."

Damian frowned "That's nonsense. You have managed to go through mother's guards to get here, I have no reason to reprehend you. Unless you were seen."

The voice hesitated before replying somewhat awkwardly "I wasn't."

"You are lying." Damian squinted, trying to make out her features in the darkness, but getting nothing.

"You should definitely be sleeping."

"The guards will not check in until morning, we have hours until then."

"We have _hours_?"

"It _is_ dark. I can barely see you."

"Oh."

"Are you worried?" Damian asked, slightly amused "I can fight blind, you know. If this is a test night, you only have to make sure to get out of the way."

"You want me to stay out of your way." she echoed incredulously.

"I will not have you harmed over one of mother's attacks, they are my challenges to overcome and mine alone."

She was silent for a beat "That's actually very sweet."

"You are acting odd."

There was movement, and Damian waited patiently to grab her arm before her hand could touch him.

"Can you see me now?" she asked softly, not making any attempt to free herself.

Damian strained his eyes, and thought he maybe saw the outline of her lips, her hair falling over her shoulder… For a moment he got confused, like those weren't the things he should to be seeing. Perhaps she wasn't supposed to look like that. Who was she again?

"No…" his voice was just as soft as hers was, as he tried to gather his thoughts.

Something cold touched his forehead and he startled, realizing he had let go of her hand.

"Sorry" she whispered sympathetically "You're running a fever, I'm just mopping the sweat from your forehead so you don't look gross."

"I don't think that is what the cold cloth is for."

"Lie back." she told him pushing his shoulder into the pillows.

"Who are you again?"

She got quiet once more. Damian traced fingers and cloth over his forehead, now relishing in the cool feel "You know that." she said suddenly and Damian's eyes snapped open.

"Do I?"

Damian woke up to a too bright room.

It felt like the lights were about to melt his eyes out of his head and he struggled to get up.

"Wow! Wait, where are you going?"

An arm wrapped around his chest keeping him from sprinting out of the bed.

"Grayson" he grumbled, shielding his eyes from the light and focusing on the girl sitting beside his legs.

"Yes! Grayson. I'm Grayson." she said with a sunny smile. Damian scowled.

"No, you are _not_." he rubbed his eyes "Where is he?"

"He…" she sighed "He had to leave. There was some stuff he needed to fix."

"I will join him then." Damian tries to look around, but the lights are still way too bright, so he shields his eyes with his hand to stare at the girl.

"Fine" she nodded, very agreeable "Tell me where he is and you can go."

"What?"

"I bet you don't even know how you got here, how can you go after him if you don't even remember what the hell happened in the first place?"

She had such sincere eyes that left Damian feeling on the edge. "He left me _alone_."

"Not _alone_, you drama queen. I'm here. He trusts me."

"Who _are_ you anyway?" he grinds his teeth "And tell whoever is by the door that I do not care for people spying on me."

"I'm Jane." the girl looked over her shoulder to the door and back to Damian "That's my sister. You put up quite a ruckus when you got here and she's just checking to see if you're not attacking me or anything."

"Why would I attack you?" almost before he could finish his question a new voice spoke over him.

"Is the little shit still blind?"

Damian forced himself to look at the door and fought through the blinding light to focus on the newcomer. She had her hair in a low ponytail, over one shoulder and though she looked a lot like the other girl, Jane, the new girl's face made Damian brain itch.

"You!" he growled and jumped out of the bed and on top of her.

"Not blind then!" the girl quipped, voice strained under Damian's weight as he tried to get his hands around her neck "Get him off of me, Jane!"

"You kinda deserve it, Diana." Jane commented nonchalantly.

"_Jane!_"

"Who the hell are you people?" Damian barked at both of them "Where's Grayson?"

"What?" Diana snapped, trying to look at Jane.

"His brain is still fried." Jane's voice sounded a lot closer now "Sorry, little Robin."

Jane's fingers were cold on his skin and Damian felt a prick on his neck.

There was something that no one knew – not even mother – but as a child, Damian had a friend.

He didn't remember how old he was exactly, what he did remember was that training had been over and while one tutor commanded him to stay in his quarters, other had been telling him how he needed to learn how to move undetected.

Damian understood that to mean he should leave his room and not be caught. That way he'd be completing both tasks.

And throughout his explorations of grandfather's base, he found another boy. Damian had no idea there would be anyone in that room and nearly ran away; the last thing he wanted was to be spotted, but the boy showed no sign of noticing Damian's presence.

"Who are you?" Damian demanded and got no answer. No reaction at all, really.

Completely sure he was being ambushed, Damian left and spent the whole next day waiting for a punishment that never came. So he went back and found the boy exactly as he had left him the night before, sitting on the edge of the bed, feet planted on the ground.

Damian watched the boy suspiciously and, sensing no immediate threat, approached carefully.

The boy didn't turn to look at him, just sat there, breathing.

Damian couldn't explain why, but visiting the strange silent boy became a nightly routine.

Sometimes Damian would use him as a climbing wall, just to sit on his shoulders and mess with his hair. Other nights, they sat side by, side Damian would tell him about his day, his training, his future.

In one occasion, Damian talked mindlessly about mother's plans for him while comparing the size of their hands. Damian was tired of being so little, he wanted to grow up, he wanted to inherit the world as mother told him and find out who father was, but his hand was so small that it could be engulfed by the silent boy's.

And that's exactly what happened.

Damian startled when the boy closed his fingers around Damian's hand, the first and only time the boy showed any reaction at all, and Damian stared at him in awe.

"Can you hear me?" Damian asked, searching for any sign he was being understood and finding none.

It was probably for the best.

One day, the boy was gone.

And as the months – too many of them – went by, Damian always checked the room and always found it empty. He had mostly given up when the boy reappeared – battered, hurt, not like the boy Damian knew at all –, arguing heatedly with mother. Damian watched them for a couple of minutes, feeling something tight in his chest, he didn't know what it was or how to call it.

Why didn't the boy ever speak to him? Had he been telling Damian's every whispered secret to mother? Was Damian that much of a nuisance that the boy had to leave? Did mother plan that as she had been planning Damian's entire life?

Damian left, deciding not to think about any of that ever again. He was proud to say he couldn't even remember the boy's face anymore. He would never admit to still being able to pinpoint his exact eye color.

* * *

**A/N.:** I couldn't finish this chapter properly, so I didn't. Sorry.

Can I just say I love writing Damian interacting with the girls, even if he is drugged off his ass and doesn't remember who they are.

Thanks a lot for all the reviews! You guys are the reason all my stories are still alive


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